• This is a difficult one; politics, poor communication, lack of clarity in the strategy of your organisation, or lack of clarity in your role can make progress feel like you are walking through mud. A seemingly very good motivation to leave.
• It is important to understand which elements of this are down to your company (and therefore by changing company they may change) and which could – with a concerted effort – be resolved by you.
• If other companies seem attractive because they have the culture ‘thing’ sorted, it’s worth remembering that looks (and brochures and websites) can be deceiving. After all, externally maybe your current company looks just as good.
• Even if you are planning on leaving make a point of understanding what you like about your existing company culture and make sure that exists (or you can deal without it existing) in potential employers. For instance you may want to move to a larger company because you are attracted by a greater level of support, but don't be caught out about how much you now miss the – say - entrepreneurial focus of your previous employer.
• Ultimately the culture of the company comes from the CEO. What do you think about him / her?
• It is vital to acknowledge that the grass is not always greener and your selected employer may have conducted a good selling job on you. It is vitally important to do your own due diligence on your new employer, establish a clear understanding of their culture by meeting as many people as possible, looking for evidence which supports the culture in its communication and reward structure. Look for evidence of personal development and team work. Furthermore, it is not impossible to access opinion of your new employer through the internet and with people who may know the organisation. Thorough due diligence is key.
In summary, factors that may encourage you to leave include:
• You have a good objective view about what you don’t like about the culture, and a firm objective belief that other companies offer a better environment.
• You feel that there is nothing you can do to change the situation.
• You can also understand what is good about the culture, and can live with leaving these ‘good’ things behind, or believe you’ll be able to find them elsewhere anyway.